Web renewing mechanism



Dec. 14, 1965 c. E. F. WILLIS 3,223,340

WEB RENEWING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 26, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INveNToR ATTORNEYS Dec. 14, 1965 c. E. F. wu |s WEB RENEWING MECHANISM 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 26, 1965 4 INVIENIIZRI I BY Z. Li- 1 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,223,340 WEB RENEWENG MECHANISM Claude E. F. Willis, London, England, assignor to R. W. (Irabtree & Sons Limited Filed Dec. as, 1963, Ser. No. 333,319 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Jan. 1, 1963,

27 Ciainls.

This invention relates to web-renewing mechanism, that is, mechanism by means of which a web of material passing from a running roll to a web-consuming machine can be attached to the web of a replacement roll when the running roll is nearing exhaustion. Such mechanism is commonly employed for the supply of paper webs to printing machines, provision being made to establish contact between the running web and the periphery of the roll to which adhesive has already been applied, so that the running web adheres to the web of the replacement roll and draws it forward, the running (expiring) web now being severed.

Contact between the running web and the periphery of the rotating replacement roll is commonly effected by a brush or other web deflector which, at the time of renewal is moved to press the running web against the periphery of the rotating replacement roll. A difliculty with this kind of mechanism is to ensure that the running web is deflected at the correct moment so that it mates with the part of the replacement roll carrying the adhesive. It will be appreciated that as both the running web and the replacement roll are moving at speed that any back lash, or play in the mechanism tends to lead to discrepancies, and for this reason it is difficult to devise such a mechanism using mechanical principles and which is accurate.

According to the present invention web renewing mechanism includes a web deflector which can be moved to an operative position to cause the running web with which it is to be used to contact the periphery of a replacement roll, resilient means urging the deflector towards its operative position and releasable electromagnetic means acting to hold the deflector in a cocked or inoperative positron.

With this arrangement the rate at which the deflector operates to deflect the running web after the mechanism has been actuated is dependent upon the rate of action of the resilient means which can easily be selected to give a quick response, moreover the use of electromagnetic means to release the deflector from its cocked, or inoperative position ensures almost immediate actuation upon initiation of the mechanism.

Preferably the electromagnetic means comprises an electromagnet which can act on an armature mounted on the deflector. The term magnetic connection is used herein to define a connection between two parts which is entirely dependent upon magnetic flux acting to hold them together. Thus when the flux is removed the parts can immediately be separated.

In a convenient arrangement the deflector is carried by a pivoted support arm which can move between extended and retracted positions, and the deflector may comprise a pivoted lever carried by the support, one end of the lever carrying a deflector member and being acted upon by the resilient means. Moreover the deflector member may conveniently carry a brush, which can engage the running web.

The pivoted support arm may also carry a knife which can act to sever the running web with which the mechanism is to be used, this knife also being electrically operated. Means may also be included for returning the deflector and the knife to their cocked positions, and these may both be actuated when the support arm moves from its extended to its retracted position.

In any case the deflector member preferably extends across the width of the running Web with which it is to be used, and may be supported by a number of pivoted levers.

According to a further feature of the invention control means are included which can be operated to cause the mechanism to act to operate a deflector to move the running web with which it is to be used into contact with a replacement roll and to subsequently sever the running web behind the point of contact.

Such control means preferably include actuating means operating in accordance with the rotation of the replacement roll. This actuating means may include an electrical mechanism operated in dependence upon the angular position of the replacement roll, and the control means may thus be caused to act to move the running web into contact with the replacement roll and then sever the running web in accordance with subsequent revolutions of the replacement roll.

In a convenient arrangement the spindle of the replacement roll is provided with a contact which can act to energize an electrical operating circuit in the electrical mech anism upon each rotation thereof.

These operations must follow a definite sequence which must be related basically to an angular position of an adhesive area which has been applied to the periphery of the replacement roll so as to ensure an adequate time in which the running web Wraps about the periphery of the replacement roll before the adhesive area comes into contact with the running web, and this involves that the mechanism must operate in relation to that angular position. This is achieved in the present invention by the arrangement set forth above by ensuring that the electrical mechanism is operated in dependence upon the angular position in the replacement roll. Moreover accuracy is obtained by arranging for the deflector to be operated by an energization of the operating circuit subsequent to the first energization caused by rotation of the roll spindle.

In a preferred arrangement the control means includes shaft carrying cams, one of which can operate to actuate the mechanism for moving the running web into contact with the replacement roll and another of which can operate to cause actuation of the knife.

Preferably the cams act to actuate switches to energize electrical circuits which control the operation of the mechanism and the shaft itself may be actuated by the electrical mechanism.

The electrical mechanism preferably includes a relay controlled by the contact carried by the replacement roll spindle and which acts to operate ratchet mechanism to cause the cam shaft to rotate, the shaft carrying means for interrupting a switch in the relay circuit.

The electrical mechanism may include a master switch, operation of which initiates operation of the electrical mechanism and the Web renewal action, and the master switch may be operated to disconnect the contact on the roll spindle by control means operated subsequent to operation of the knife.

A zeroing device for resetting the cam shaft after a web renewal action may also be included which can be operated by a cam on the cam shaft.

Moreover, the zeroing cam may act to operate a switch to retain the relay in operation after the actuation of the knife until the cam shaft has returned to its starting position, despite the fact that the master switch has been opened.

Thus it will be seen that the electro-rnagnetic means for operating the deflector may be included in the circuit controlled by the appropriate cam, and the knife operating mechanism similarly.

The invention may be performed in various ways but one specific embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which, FIG- URE l is a pictorial representation of the mechanism and the electrical circuits as applied to a printing machine, and,

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the deflector mechanism.

As shown in FIGURE 1 the replacement (incoming) reel 1 is mounted on a shaft 4 which is provided with an electrical contact 3. As the shaft 4 rotates the segment 3 comes into contact with and completes the circuit across a pair of brushes 2.

The incoming web of the running roll Which is expiring (not shown) is indicated at 5 and a deflector and knife mechanism is indicated generally at 6. The deflector is retained in position against the action of a spring by means of an electro-rna-gnet indicated at 7, and the knife release mechanism is actuated by an electromagnet 8. Mechanism is also included for automatically returning the deflector and knife to their cocked positions, this mechanism being operated by actuation of a pivoted support arm on which they are carried. Details of the brush and knife mechanism are shown more clearly in FIGURE 2, to be described,

Electrical mechanism operated in dependence upon the angular position of the replacement roll comprises an electrical circuit including a rectifier for the supply of current, and a relay 13 which can produce impulses to actuate a relay arm 13 which can pivot to operate a cam shaft 13 by ratchet mechanism 13 connected to the shaft. A master switch 14 is also included in this circuit by which the electrical mechanism can be initiated. The cam shaft carries four cams 9, 10-, 11, 12. As each of these cams engages a control position switches 18, 15, 16, 17 respectively either make or break electrical circuits thereby effecting the desired control operation. As will be seen the cam 11 controls the operation of the deflector and cam 12 the operation of the knife.

The cams 10, 11, 12 are arranged upon the cam shaft so that they rotate with it. The cam 9 however provides interrupter means and is free to move on the cam shaft, and is connected to the ratchet mechanism by an operating lever 9 so that it moves initially with the cam shaft and then returns to its original position as the relay arm 13 pivots. This cam operates the switch 1 8 and thus acts to open and close the electrical circuit containing the relay 13 in dependence upon the pulses received from the relay.

As will be seen the switch 17 remains open for most of the operating cycle and is only closed during one revolution of the spindle 4, switch 16 remains closed, to energize the deflector release mechanism during most of the cycle and is only opened during one revolution of the spindle 4 and switch similarly remains closed for most of the operating cycle so that the switch 18 can act to interrupt the energization of the circuit containing the relay 13.

In the normal running position the master switch 14 is closed on the contact 19. As the running web approaches exhaustion and it is required to commence the web renewing operation, the switch 14 is closed onto contact either automatically or manually, so that, when the contact 3 on the shaft 4 next makes contact across the brushes 2, the relay 13 receives an electrical impulse and rotates the cam shaft through one position. This causes the cams 10, 11, 12 to advance one position. When the contact across the brushes 2 is broken, the relay returns to its original position and the switch 18 is again closed by the cam 9, but the cams 10, 11 and 12 stay in their advanced positions. This cycle is repeated each time contact is made across the brushes 2.

On the first impulse the cam 10 moves away from its control position and the switch 15, which constitutes a zeroing device is closed so that the circuit containing the relay is closed, this first rotation of the spindle 4 is therefore only used for this action. This is advantageous as it ensures that the impulse which effects operation of the deflector commences at the initial contact of the contact on the spindle with the brushes 2 and this point can be accurately positioned in relation to the position of the adhesive on the roll.

When the contact 3 again makes contact across the brushes 2 on the second rotation of the spindle the relay 13 is again actuated thereby bringing the cam 11 into its control position which causes the switch 16 to open so de-energizing the electromagnet 7 and releasing the deflector. As contact is made across the brushes 2 for the third time after the initiation of the web renewing cycle, the electromagnet 8 is energized as the switch 17 is closed by the cam 12, and the knife release mechanism is therefore operated. Operation of the knife energizes a secondary circuit indicated diagrammatically at S, which actuates mechanism, for example a solenoid, to move the master switch 14 across the contact 19 thereby shorting out the operation of the control means in accordance with the rotation of the replacement roll, and the electrical control circuit including the relay 13 is therefore energized directly from the source of power. Thus the relay 13 actuates the cam shaft and causes the cams to rotate, interrupted operation is however obtained by the operation of the switch 18 and the cam 9 so that the relay is still operated intermittently and produces the necessary pulses to cause the shaft to rotate, and the cam 9 therefore selfmotors and causes the shaft to rotate until the cam 10 opens the contact 15. At this position the mechanism is re-set and ready for operation.

At the same time as the circuit 8 is energized, another secondary circuit indicated diagrammatically at 8 is also switched into operation by the movement of the knife and causes a reversible electrical motor 8 to operate to move the support arm on which the knife and deflector are carried to move away from the running web to a retracted position. This motor can be operated before the cycle commences to lower the arm into its extended position ready for operation.

As described each cam operates once in each complete revolution, but if desired the cams could be arranged to complete a cycle of operation by only partly completing one revolution of the cam shaft by utilizing multi-lobe cams. This in fact is desirable in practice as it enables a finer control to be obtained due to the small movements which are all that is required.

In this way the invention provides reliable mechanism for the release of the deflector, further it provides simple and reliable means for synchronizing the release of the deflector with the angular position of the adhesive area on the web of the replacement roll it merely being necessary to arrange the contact 3 and the part of the roll carrying the adhesive in suitable angular displacement to each other. It will also be apparent that the means actuating the cam shaft arrangement could be mechanical if desired.

In FIGURE 2 details of the deflector and knife mechanism are more clearly shown. The deflector itself comprises a bar 21 which extends across the whole width of the running web which is to be displaced. This bar is carried by a number of hell crank levers 22 which are in turn carried by pivoted support arms 23. The support arms are pivoted at 24 to the frame of the machine indicated generally at 25 and can be operated through the reversible electric motor 8 acting on operating arms 26 which are pivoted to a lug 27 so that they can be moved between an extended position, in which the arm is shown, and a retracted position indicated generally by the broken lines 23*.

The bar 21 which comprises the deflector also carries brushes 28 which actually engage the running web when the mechanism is operated, and the end of the bell crank lever 22 displaced from the bar 21 carries a tension spring 29 which is connected to a member 30 carried on the support arms 23.

The bell crank lever is held in a position in which the tension spring 29 is extended by means of an electromagnet 31 which cooperates with an armature 32 on the bell crank lever 22. As will be seen, when the electromagnet is de-energized the spring 29 will immediately act on the bell crank lever 22 to cause it to pivot about a point 33 so that the brushes 28 are immediately projected forward to contact the running web and move it into engagement with the replacement roll. As set forth above the operation of this electromagnet is controlled by the control mechanism.

The knife for severing the running web is also carried by the pivoted support arms 23 and is indicated generally at 34.

The knife is urged outwardly by tension springs (not shown) and is retained in a cocked position by means of a pin 35 which is connected to one end of a pivoted operating lever 36, the other end of which can be acted upon by an electromagnet 37. When the electromagnet is energized by the control mechanism the pin 35 is withdrawn and the knife extended by the tension springs. Operation of this electromagnet at the same time causes operation of the secondary circuit S which causes the motor 8 to operate to pivot the support arms 23 about the pivots 24 to return them to their retracted position.

A member 38 is pivoted to the end of one of the bell crank levers which carries the deflector, and this acts as a link to a return lever 39 pivoted at 40 to the support arm. The other end of the lever 39 carries a roller 41 and as the support arm is retracted the roller 41 engages a cam 42 provided on the frame 25, which causes the lever 39 to move the bell crank lever 22 to its cocked position in which it can be re-energized by the electromagnet 31.

A rod 43 extends along one edge of the support arm 23, one end of which carries a crank member 44 which engages the knife 34 and the other end of which is provided with a cam follower normal to the lengthwise direction of the rod. When the support arm 23 is returned to its retracted position the cam follower engages a face cam surface 45 on the cam 42 which causes the rod to turn angularly which in turn causes the crank member 36 to return the knife to its cocked position against the action of the compression springs and where it can be re-engaged by the pin 35 when the electromagnet 37 is de-energized.

As shown in FIGURE 2 the deflector and knife are in their cocked positions.

It will be appreciated that the deflector mechanism described above could be operated by any suitable control mechanism and it is not restricted to operation by the control mechanism described in relation to FIGURE 1.

I claim:

1. Web renewing mechanism including a web deflector which moves to an operative position to cause the running web with which it is to be used to contact the periphery of a replacement roll, resilient means urging said web deflector towards said operative position and electromagnetic means including a releasable magnetic connection which holds the deflector in an inoperative position.

2. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which said electromagnetic means comprises an electromagnet which acts on an armature mounted on the deflector.

3. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 2 in which said deflector is carried by a pivoted support arm which moves between extended and retracted positions.

4. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 3 in which said deflector Comprises a pivoted lever carried by said support arm, one end of said lever carrying a deflector member, and being acted upon by said resilient means.

5. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 4 in which said deflector member carries a brush.

6. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 5 in which said pivoted lever is in the form of a bell-crank lever one end of which carries the deflector member and the other end of which is acted upon by the resilient means.

'7. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 6 in which the electromagnet and armature are carried by the pivoted lever and the pivoted support arm.

8. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 7 including means operatively connected to the deflector to return it to an inoperative position, and which are actuated when the support arm moves from its extended to its retracted position.

9. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 8 in which the pivoted support arm also carries a knife which acts to sever the running web with which the mechanism is to be used.

10. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 9 including means operatively connected to the knife to return it to an inoperative position when the support arm is moved from its extended to its retracted position.

11. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 10 in which the return means for the deflector and the knife both include cam means.

12. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 11 including control means operatively connected to operate said deflector to move the running web with which it is to be used, into contact with a replacement roll and to subsequently sever the running web behind the point of contact.

13. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 12 in which said control means includes actuating means connected to operate in accordance with the rotation of said replacement roll.

14. Web renewing mechanism as clamed in claim 13 in which said actuating means includes an electrical mechanism operated in dependence upon the angular position of the replacement roll.

15. \Veb renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 14 in which said control means is operatively connected to move the running web into contact with the replacement roll and then sever the running web in accordance with subsequent revolutions of the replacement roll.

16. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 15 in which said replacement roll is provided with a spindle which has a contact which acts to energize an electrical operating circuit in the electrical mechanism upon each rotation of the replacement roll.

17. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 16 in which said deflector is operatively connected to operate by an energization of the operating circuit subsequent to the first energization caused by rotation of the roll spindle.

18. In a web renewing mechanism including a replacement roll on a spindle and a pivoted support arm, a web deflector carried by said arm for causing a running web to contact the roll, a web cutting knife carried by said arm for cutting the running web, and control means for said deflector and said knife including a camshaft carrying cams, an electrical mechanism for actuating said camshaft, and electrical circuits provided with switches, said cams being disposed to actuate said switches and energize said circuits to control said deflector and said knife, one of said cams operating said deflector and another cam operating said knife.

19. The mechanism of claim 18 wherein said electrical mechanism includes a relay and a contact carried by said spindle for controlling said relay, a ratched mechanism is operatively connected to said relay for actuation thereby, said ratched mechanism is operatively connected to said cant shaft for operation of said shaft, interrupter means are carried by said shaft, and an interrupter switch is in said relay for interrupting by said interrupter means.

20. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 19 in which said interrupter means comprises a free cam carried on said cam shaft which oscillates thereon and which moves initially with the other cams and then returns to its original position.

21. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 29 in which said electrical mechanism includes a master switch, operation of which initiates operation of said electrical mechanism and the web renewal action.

22. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 21 in which said master switch is operatively connected to disconnect the contact on said spindle by control means which are operated subsequent to operation of said knife.

23. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 22. including a zeroing device means for resetting the cam shaft after a web renewal operation.

24. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 23 in which said zeroing device means is operated by cam means on the cam shaft.

25. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 24 in which said zeroing cam means is provided with switch means and said .cam means operates said switch means to retain said relay in operation after the actuation of 3% the knife until said cam shaft has returned to its starting position.

26. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 25 in which said zeroing cam means causes the relay to continue to operate after the master switch has been opened.

27. Web renewing mechanism as claimed in claim 22 in which said pivoted support arm is moved between an extended and a retracted position by means actuated in response to the release of said knife.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,148,054 2/1939 Vvood 24258.3 2,236,163 3/1941 Barber 242-583 2,629,562 2/1953 Tollison 242-583 2,963,234 12/1960 Chase et al. 242-58.3

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. WEB RENEWING MECHANISM INCLUDING A WEB DEFLECTOR WHICH MOVES TO AN OPERATIVE POSITION TO CAUSE THE RUNNING WEB WITH WHICH IT IS TO BE USED TO CONTACT THE PERIPHERY OF A REPLACEMENT ROLL, RESILIENT MEANS URGING SAID WEB DEFLECTOR TOWARDS SAID OPERATIVE POSITION AND ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS INCLUDING A RELEASABLE MAGNETIC CONNECTION WHICH HOLDS THE DEFLECTOR IN AN INOPERATIVE POSITION.
 18. IN A WEB RENEWING MECHANISM INCLUDING A REPLACEMENT ROLL ON A SPINDLE AND A PIVOTED SUPPORT ARM, A WEB DEFLECTOR CARRIED BY SAID ARM FOR CAUSING A RUNNING WEB TO CONTACT THE ROLL, A WEB CUTTING KNIFE CARRIED BY SAID ARM FOR CUTTING THE RUNNING WEB, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID DEFLECTOR AND SAID KNIFE INCLUDING A CAMSHAFT CARRYING CAMS, AN ELECTRICAL MECHANISM FOR ACTUATING SAID CAMSHAFT, AND ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS PROVIDED WITH SWITCHES, SAID CAMS BEING DISPOSED TO ACTUATE SAID SWITCHES AND ENERGIZE SAID CIRCUITS TO CONTROL SAID DEFLECTOR AND SAID KNIFE, ONE OF SAID CAMS OPERATING SAID DEFLECTOR AND ANOTHER CAM OPERATING SAID KNIFE. 